You have done the pre-trip checks. The load is secure. The sat-nav is set. Then the quiet question: can I actually drive now?
Not in theory. Not according to what you remember from yesterday. Right now — with the driving you have already done this week, the break you took at Leicester Forest East, and the 10-hour day you stretched on Tuesday.
HGV Time Pilot answers that question with a single driver status headline, backed by your latest tachograph card download. It is on Free and Pro, on the web dashboard and in the Android app's My Card Data screen. No subscription required to see whether you are OK to roll.
This post explains every status the app can show, what the numbers underneath mean, and how that fits with the live shift timer in the cab.
It is not legal advice. Your digital tachograph and driver card remain the official record.
Two tools, one picture
Drivers often confuse two different features. They work together but answer different questions:
| Question | Tool | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| "What mode am I in right now?" | Shift timer (Android) | What you tap in the app during the shift |
| "Am I OK to drive based on recorded activity?" | Driver status (app + web) | Your imported tachograph card data |
The timer gives real-time hints before the 4½-hour mark while you are driving. The "Can I drive now?" status reconstructs limits from what is on your card — daily and weekly driving totals, fortnight caps, and break position across your recent history.
If you have not downloaded your card yet, the status will say No card data. The timer still works; the compliance headline cannot.
Where to find it
On the web — sign in at v3.hgvtimepilot.com. The Driver Status card is at the top of the dashboard.
On Android — open the menu and tap My Card Data. The same headline and colour coding appear at the top of the screen.
Both read from the same backend snapshot. Update your card on the phone and the dashboard reflects it on your next refresh.
The nine driver status states
The app picks one headline from nine possibilities. It uses a fixed priority order — the most urgent limit wins. For example, if you have hit your daily driving cap, you will see that even if a weekly warning would also apply.
Here is what each state means in plain English:
No card data
You have not imported a tachograph card yet (or the import did not produce activity). Download your card on the Android app to populate the status. A Download Card button takes you straight to the card reader.
Daily driving limit reached
You have used your daily driving allowance — normally 9 hours, or 10 hours on a day extension. Message: You must take daily rest. You should not drive until you have taken the required daily rest period. See our EU 561/2006 explainer for the numbers.
Weekly driving limit reached
You have reached 56 hours of driving in the current Monday–Sunday week. Message: You cannot drive again until next week. The clock resets at the start of the next ISO week.
Fortnight driving limit reached
You have hit the 90-hour cap across any two consecutive weeks. Message: Driving not permitted. This is the two-week rule that catches drivers who max out week after week.
Break required now
You have driven 4 hours 30 minutes since your last valid break reset without taking the required 45-minute break (or the 15 + 30 split in the correct order). Message: You must take a 45 minute break. Stop and take break time before driving again.
Break required soon
Your next mandatory break is due within 30 minutes. Message: Plan your next stop now. The headline shows the countdown — for example, Break required in 18m.
Daily limit warning
You have less than 60 minutes of daily driving time left today. Message: You are close to your daily limit. Plan your last leg or consider whether a day extension is available and appropriate.
Weekly limit warning
You have less than 3 hours of driving time left this week (under the 56-hour cap). Message: You are close to your weekly limit.
You can drive today
Green light. Message: Compliance looks OK based on your latest card data. You are within daily, weekly, fortnight, and break limits according to the card slice the engine analysed. Secondary lines show driving time remaining today and this week, plus your continuous-driving spell progress toward the next break.
A green status is not a guarantee. It means the maths on your latest card import look fine — not that enforcement would agree in every edge case, and not that nothing happened before the data on your card begins.
"What's left" — the numbers under the headline
Below the headline (when card data is available), you will see Driving time left:
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Today | Remaining daily driving time (up to 9h, or 10h with an extension) |
| This week | Remaining driving in the current Mon–Sun week (56h cap) |
| Next week | How much you could still drive next week, accounting for the 90h fortnight rule |
| Two-week total | Headroom under the 90h limit across any two consecutive weeks |
You will also see continuous driving spell progress — how much of the current 4½-hour window you have used, and time until break required. This comes from tachograph activity on the card, not from the live timer. If the two disagree, the card wins for compliance; the timer helps you avoid getting there in the first place.
Weeks run Monday to Sunday (London ISO week). If another app shows a larger "this week" figure, compare it with Two-week total here — some tools blend the 90h fortnight into a single weekly display.
How fresh is the data?
The status badge shows Fresh, Stale, or Unknown:
- Fresh — your last card download was within the last 24 hours.
- Stale — the download is older than that. The dashboard shows a Card data outdated banner with the last sync time and a prompt to download again.
- Unknown — no freshness timestamp yet (first load or after a reset).
Regulations expect drivers to carry roughly 28 days of tachograph records. The card itself only holds a limited window of activity. Download regularly — especially after long runs — so the status reflects recent driving, not a week-old snapshot.
Free vs Pro — what changes
The nine status headlines and What's left overview are on Free and Pro. You do not need a subscription to see whether you are OK to drive.
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Driver status headline (9 states) | Yes | Yes |
| Driving time left (today / week / fortnight) | Yes | Yes |
| 4½h break progress from card | Yes | Yes |
| Live snapshot recompute | Stored snapshot from last import | Recomputed from full timeline on each load |
| Warning / infringement counts | 14-day window on card preview | Full history in snapshot |
| View in Daily Review shortcut | Locked | Opens day-by-day calendar |
| Detailed issue explanations | Upgrade prompt | Full titles and activity detail |
Pro recomputes your compliance snapshot from the canonical rules engine every time you load the dashboard — so remaining times reflect the latest parser logic and your full imported timeline, not only the last stored snapshot.
Free still shows accurate headlines and remaining-time figures from the stored snapshot; issue counts are scoped to the 14-day card preview window. For full infringement detail and the colour-coded calendar, upgrade to Pro — or unlock 14 days of Pro on your first successful card download.
Warnings and infringements — not the same as the headline
The status headline is a forward-looking answer: can I drive from here?
Separately, the card may contain warnings (lower-severity or allowance-related issues) and infringements (harder breaches). A count appears under the status card when either is non-zero. Free users see the counts; Pro users can tap View in review to open Daily Compliance Review on the date in question.
The headline can say You can drive today while historical warnings still exist on past days. That is normal — the headline is about now, not a clean licence history.
Card identity and wrong-card protection
If you insert a different driver card than the one registered to your account, the import may be blocked to stop two drivers' data mixing. On the web, Free users see limited mismatch handling; Pro users get the full blocked-card toast and guidance.
Replacing your card (renewal, lost card)? Use Settings → Tachograph card → Rebind on the web dashboard, then download the new card on Android.
When the app and your gut disagree
- Refresh the card — stale data makes every calculation wrong.
- Trust the tachograph for enforcement — the app interprets card data; it does not read the vehicle unit live.
- Use the timer in parallel — if the timer says break soon but the card headline is green, you may have forgotten to change mode on the phone, or the card has not caught up today's driving yet.
- Ask Time Pilot AI — three messages per day on Free, unlimited on Pro. With card context loaded, it can explain why a status appeared using your numbers, not generic rulebook text.
Frequently asked questions
Is "Can I drive now?" on the iPhone?
The status appears on the web dashboard in any browser, and in the Android app under My Card Data. There is no iOS native app.
Does a green status mean zero infringements ever?
No. It means you are within limits right now based on latest card data. Past infringements live in Daily Compliance Review (Pro).
Why does my status say break required when I just stopped?
Card data may lag a few minutes behind reality until the vehicle unit writes the stop. Download again after your break is recorded, or use the shift timer for live guidance.
Can I use this instead of my tachograph?
No. The app is a helper. Officers check the tachograph and card, not your phone.
What if I only use the timer and never download my card?
The timer works without a card. You will never see tachograph-based daily/weekly limits, fortnight caps, or the nine-state headline until you import at least once.
Put it together on your next run
- Start shift on Android with the shift timer.
- Let the timer warn you before the 4½-hour mark in real time.
- Download your card when you are back on Wi‑Fi or data.
- Open My Card Data or the web dashboard and read the headline.
- Upgrade or use your 14-day Pro bonus when you want the full calendar and PDF reports.
For the product tour, see how it works. For the regulation behind the limits, see EU 561/2006 in plain English. Feedback welcome at support@hgvtimepilot.com.
This article explains general drivers' hours concepts. It is not legal advice. Always follow your operator's policies and current regulations.